President Donald Trump is stepping up his support for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as Republicans work to hold the state’s U.S. Senate seat in the November midterm elections. Trump said he plans to spend “a lot of time in Texas” campaigning for Paxton, who is facing Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
Trump traveled to Texas on Thursday for a Republican fundraiser as both parties pour attention and money into the increasingly competitive race. Trump endorsed Paxton in May, shortly before Paxton defeated longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the Republican primary runoff.
“We’re working very hard. We want to win that race,” Trump told reporters. “So I’m going to help Ken Paxton, and I’m going to spend a lot of time in Texas.”
The race has become a significant test for Republicans as they fight to retain control of the Senate. A University of Texas and Texas Politics Project poll released this week showed Talarico leading Paxton 42 percent to 39 percent. Another 14 percent of respondents had not formed an opinion. The Cook Political Report has also moved the race into its toss-up category.
Fundraising has added to Republican concerns. Paxton had close to $2 million in his campaign account at the end of June, compared with roughly $21 million for Talarico. However, Paxton raised $9 million between April and June, easing some GOP concerns about his ability to finance the general election campaign.
As Trump returned to Texas, the White House released a summary of what it described as his administration’s record in the state. The administration pointed to tax relief, border security, falling crime and private investment as major accomplishments benefiting Texans.
The White House said approximately one in four Texas workers no longer pay federal income taxes on qualifying overtime pay under Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts. About four million seniors in the state benefit from a new senior tax deduction, while average tax refunds in Texas reached $4,344. Texas also received about $281 million in first-year funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program.
The administration also pointed to falling violent crime. According to the White House, violent crime in Texas declined 13 percent last year. Murders fell 13 percent and reported rapes declined 11 percent. The state’s 25 most populous jurisdictions all recorded lower overall crime rates than the previous year.
Border security was another focus of the White House release. The administration said no illegal immigrants were released at the southern border for 15 consecutive months through July. It also said border apprehensions in July were 94 percent below the monthly average during the Biden administration. Texas is set to receive $7.5 billion from the State Border Security Reinforcement Fund to reimburse costs associated with border enforcement.
The White House also cited billions of dollars in announced private investment. Toyota plans a $3.6 billion expansion in San Antonio that is expected to create 2,000 jobs, while Saronic announced a $3.2 billion shipyard in Brownsville. SpaceX announced a $16.8 billion semiconductor project in Grimes County, and Tesla announced a $3 billion research chip facility at its Giga Texas campus.
Trump is expected to continue making Texas a major part of his midterm push. He is scheduled to return to the state next month for the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9 and Sept. 10.